Newbie and Now Scared to Death

[shatste]

So, here it is. For several years my wife and I have wanted to get a travel trailer to spend more time with our young girls. We have family and friends who camp and are always singing the praises of their adventures. In the past year, I first pulled the trigger on the 2013 Chevy 2500HD tow vehicle, and after much thought and sore muscles going in and out of trailers at several shows, purchased a 2014 Wildwood Heritage Glen 300BH. Delivery is in 6 weeks, which is fine given the winter we're having and the fact I have time to see what things I needs to consider before our first time out. This is where the fear sets in......

After scanning through many of the forums, is there anyone out there who can calm my nerves which have me thinking that this thing I bought is going to fall apart a mile after leaving the dealership (which, if I read right, will disavow any knowledge of my purchase 5 minutes after the sale is complete), leak if I am not constantly on the roof catching raindrops, bounce like a carnival ride every time a take a breath, and basically fall apart before I open my first beer? After reading many of the forums, I am now thinking this is the best worst decision of our lives!

All will be OK, won't it?!

[Ida Ratherbe Camping]

Most post you see on here are about the problems people have.
for the most part, people who don't have problems never say how great their TT or 5er is. My TT had, a few problems, but I still do not regret buying it ,,,,ever.

[columbus 320]

Don't put to much stock in what you read on forums. If it was that bad there would not be so many happy campers out there. Stop worrying and enjoy your new camper!

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by shatste

*snip

All will be OK, won't it?!

But of course it will, mostly, som....

Oh, got off track there, sorry!

Welcome to the forums......

[ironj]

you WILL have some issues.....we all do, and most are just minor things any resonably handy person can just deal with and move along.....

of the many many many people who are totally satisfied and have nary an issue, we will probably never hear a peep from on these or any forums...

its the ones who HAVE issues who find the peak of the mountain and yell...

your here and asking questions and doing your due diligence to educate yourself....that will be a big help....do your PDI with a fine tooth comb and dont settle for anything you dont feel is right...

[Herk7769]

Look here:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ood-51755.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...t-23198-4.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-rv-25964.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...roo-39787.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-tt-15497.html

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...bus-25474.html

and MANY others!

PS: I love my Flagstaff

Herk

[WFD]

Shatste....dont sweat the small stuff...and its all small stuff! Undoubtedly you will have a couple issues first few times out...just a matter of getting the bugs out, and most everything you will be able to resolve yourself. No doubt there is a learning curve...but cut yourself some slack, and it will all work out. The enjoyment you will get, the fun you will have with your family, and the memories you will build will far outweigh any issues.
Like Ida Ratherbe stated...much of what you see and read on here are people with issues. Go on any automotive forum dedicated to any car manufacturer and will read much of the same,,,people's issues with the product and looking for answers.
Just take in as much as you can here, tons of great advice, and ask away if you have questions. When camped you will also find tons of fellow campers that are more than willing to show you how things work if you are having trouble with anything.
Best advice that we can offer you is to have a thorough knowledge of your RV and when you pick it up, take all the time you need with your dealer when doing your PDI, and ask whatever is on your mind.
Enjoy
Rick

[Slympicins]

Picked up our new 29RLWS which just happened to have been built on my birthday (which was a Tuesday). Has some very minor issues (curtain fell off, grease dust cap damaged and hub cap fell off, screen door won't stay closed) and a few more. If you the least bit handy these are nothing but a little time. I find it soothing to spend a little time getting to know the TT. Bought a furniture marker to fix nicks and scratches and the glass shower stall leaks at the floor pan. A little GE II clear silicone and I'm leak free. When we bought our $350k house had some of the same crazy issues. I fixed them. Only difference my home is not a rolling earthquake!!!

[bikendan]

we still have our Rockwood Roo 23SS after over 7 years and still nothing has gone wrong.(knock on wood). and it's a hybrid travel trailer, which is supposed to be more susceptible to leaks than other types of RVs.

there were some minor warranty issues that were done over the 2 years of the factory warranty. nothing major.

what's happened to you is that you've been reading RV forums too much. forums like these tend to attract those with problems, more than anyone else. it's only natural because many people don't go to one, unless they start having problems.

if you aren't having issues with your RV, rarely would you start a thread saying: "MY FR RV has had no issues at all. Isn't that GREAT?"

[HONDAMAN174]

And as you look around at a lot of the current posts are people that just can't wait to hitch theirs up for the start of the current season.

There tons of posts of things you should get to make life easier/protect your investment.

Start slow and just think of the time away from the real world and all the great people from this forum that you can meet at the events 😃

[GT4six]

No need to worry...just enjoy the trips and let good memories begin while camping with your girls.
We started like you....and now a couple of trailers later we jumped to a MH which I had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. But then again, my wife and I thought about when we bought our first trailer then we laughed....you will get camping fever along with your family.

Welcome and congrats...

[rockfordroo]

We have family and friends who camp and are always singing the praises of their adventures. In the past year, I first pulled the trigger on the 2013 Chevy 2500HD tow vehicle, and after much thought and sore muscles going in and out of trailers at several shows, purchased a 2014 Wildwood Heritage Glen 300BH.
*
(W)ho can calm my nerves which have me thinking that this thing I bought is going to fall apart a mile after leaving the dealership (which, if I read right, will disavow any knowledge of my purchase 5 minutes after the sale is complete), leak if I am not constantly on the roof catching raindrops, bounce like a carnival ride every time a take a breath, and basically fall apart before I open my first beer?
*
All will be OK, won't it?!

I wouldn't be worried about problems with the rig. It looks to me like you've just dropped something north of $55-60K (maybe more) to go camping, and it doesn't sound like you've ever BEEN camping. That's what I'd be worried about. All it's going to take is the wife or a kid to not be thrilled and it's all over. So - I SURE HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

If not.... whew - that's some cash for something you don't like!!

[Flagstaffer06]

Remember the saying, there are "Two good days to owning a RV and/or boat, the day you buy it and the day you sell it".

Everyone will have some sort of problem but, that's what is great about this forum. There are always people willing to help! Same goes for the campground too, there are always people willing to help.

Happy camping!

[Rrickim63]

I bet that less than one percent of the campers actually have problems but that one percent of the one that fill up the forums with negative comments

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[caper]

Don't worry about your purchase. Most trailers have small problems. If you are handy at home repairs you will have no problem with the small items that might pop up. You should do a yearly maintenance check on the roof and check for cracks in the caulking. Keep the unit clean and you will be able to spot any points that might need attention. It is now different from owning a home. You have to do yearly inspections to the roof and window caulking. Enjoy your new unit and if you do have a problem do not be afraid to ask. There are many RV owners on this site that have problems and have a solution to make a fix.

[ependydad]

Many years ago, I moderated a forum for parents & caregivers of kids with brain tumors (link). The same types of questions and discussions would come up as was raised by the original poster on this thread. The problem is that you have an extremely skewed segment of the population when you look at forums.

Forums attract the passionate and the problems.

Believe it or not- *most* campers aren't modding fanatics like forums would leave you to believe. And *most* campers have some kind of issues, but in reality- the big problems are generally few and far between.

[MillerTime]

We had an excellent experiance with our first trailer. A 2013 puma 295kbh- we had a couple little self inflicted issues, like melting the plastic around the outside kitchen stove, but very good success all in all.
But our trailer was totaled by hail after about 10 months of ownership (damaged in May, finaly got it all settled and checks cashed by mid August). And we have been reserching and have looked at almost every larger bunkhouse 5er out there (really I have brochures of about 12-13 different brands). I was waiting to order again untill this late winter, so we didnt have to Winter it after the pdi and all.

Now for the important part. My kids, age 12, 5 and 2 absolutely love camping. I was getting asked everyday for a while, when I got home from work, by my 2 year old if I "bringed my big camper home" . We look back over the past couple of years and all the great pics were of us camping at the lake. I dont give a crap how much it cost now (ok I do some) but looking back now, and especially in the future, I wont regret a dollar that was spent making those memories.

There may be some headaches along the way- but that makes the good times so much sweeter!!!

Have fun!! You probably wont regret a minute!



oops. forgot to check mark that stupid box again!

[Brother Les]

You will have 'bugs' and they are all fixable. 'Life' has bugs in everything that we do. You are getting a very nice camper and you have a tow vehicle that can handle it easily. A+. You will learn the adventures of 'packing' and 'unpacking' a camper.... the adventures of getting 'to' and 'from' your destinations. And all of the great time(s) that you will have when getting to these destinations. Something will always 'go wrong' when we get out of bed each morning in life.... But we must get out of bed and what goes 'wrong' will be handled.

Rule #1) Safety first and always.
Rule #2) take your time and don't get in a hurry. It always takes longer than you think it should and bad things can and do happen if you rush.

Get to know all of your equipment, you will enjoy it so much more and know how to fix it when a bug does pop up.

What kind of equalizer hitch are you getting? You will need a stabilizer type controls for your trailer.

If you have any question, please ask. There are many here that will give you an answer.... and some of the answers might be correct (just kidding). To clarify, all answers will be correct from the view point of who is giving it, because we are all human. None should ever give a 'wrong' answer but we have all had different experiences and do things a little differently.

Welcome to the forum and happy camping.

[cootr68]

Don't sweat it too much. If you're able to hook it up at home and spend a night or two in it to find out what the bugs are going to be before you head out for a full blown trip.

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[indybp57]

If you can raise kids, you can handle a TT. TTs can be fixed. Kids, not so much. More seriously, we've had our hybrid 2 seasons and no major issues. Odds are, everything will be fine.

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